Dr. Randy Pausch’s Online Journal

I just learned that Dr. Randy Pausch, the professor who gave that amazing last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University, “died this morning of complications from pancreatic cancer”.

He was 47.

I give my heartfelt condolences to his wife and children, his family, friends and colleagues, as I am most sincerely heartbroken for their loss. He was an amazing, inspiring human being. And we’ve lost our biggest advocate in the fight toward a cure for pancreatic cancer.

I’d been following his online journal for months, mainly because my father-in-law was diagnosed with the same dreaded disease back in January 2008, and passed away last month on June 3rd, 2008 in the Philippines.

But Dr. Randy Pausch’s journal entries were always filled with hope, of getting better, of recovering and fighting pancreatic cancer. He gave it a good fight and was noble in his pledge to find a cure.

*Sigh* I am very sad tonight, folks. Thoughts and emotions are surfacing from the time when I helped take care of my father-in-law for several weeks, watching him deteriorate before my eyes. Every day becoming weaker and weaker, until he just didn’t have enough energy to get out of bed, and he slept most of the day. It was tough helping him go to the bathroom; and trying to make him eat seemed futile, especially when he had no appetite whatsoever.

I was following Dr. Pausch’s journal to try and see what developments and treatments he was going through, in hopes that maybe we could try them on my father-in-law too. I believe Dr. Pausch received the best treatments humanly possible, as my father-in-law did too at the UCSD Cancer Center. Sadly, it just wasn’t enough and we are still hoping for a cure.

Rest in Peace, Dr. Randy Pausch.